Take Money eyes next level

Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter

IT is now a reality.

Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire’s dream of becoming a global champion could now become a reality, following a special announcement made by the World Boxing Council (WBC) last week.

The WBC Female Championship Committee officially ordered the WBC Women’s World Super Bantamweight Championship between reigning champion Yamileth Mercado of Mexico and Chiwandire to take place.

The WBC now expects signed contracts from the two boxers by January 13.

Negotiations between Delta Force Academy, who handle Chiwandire, and Mercado’s camp have begun.

The negotiations are focusing on the date, venue and purses.

Should the two parties fail to reach an agreement, the fight will go for a purse bid, a scenario that could leave the two boxers smiling all the way to the bank.

Ordinarily, Mexico should host the big fight, given that champion Mercado hails from the North American country.

However, Delta Force, who are fronted by Clyde Musonda, might opt to go for a purse bid if the financial conditions in Mexico do not suit them.

The WBC approves the purse bid.

A purse bid is a process in which promoters bid for the right to stage a fight.

The promoter with the highest bid will win. Chiwandire won the right to challenge for the WBC gold belt after defending her interim title against Zulina Munoz, also from Mexico, at the Harare International Conference Centre on October 15.

She won via a unanimous points decision.

To get there, Chiwandire had accounted for Catherine Phiri of Zambia in Lusaka back in February.

She is now set to become the first Zimbabwean boxer to fight for a WBC gold belt.

While Chiwandire pocketed US$20 000 directly from the fight purse against Munoz, she now stands to rake in more, especially if the WBC calls for a purse bid.

“On behalf of the WBC Women’s Championship Committee, we hereby officially order the WBC Women’s World Super Bantamweight Championship between reigning World Champion Yamileth Mercado (Mexico) and interim World Champion Kudakwashe Chiwandire (Zimbabwe).

“We hereby kindly ask you to start free negotiations to find an agreement regarding the conditions (date, place, purses etc) for this important championship fight.

“We are looking forward to hearing from you and receiving signed contracts on or before Friday, January 13th, 2023.

“In case you cannot reach an agreement until that date we will call for a purse bid,” read a letter signed by Malte Muller-Michaels, WBC Women’s Championship chairman.

Delta Force are expected to unveil Chiwandire’s training programme at a function to be held at a Harare hotel on Wednesday.

“We are almost complete with the programme and we will share it next week,” said Musonda.

“The upcoming fight is obviously more difficult than the one Kuda fought against Munoz. “We are now bracing for a big battle against a world champion, so the training has to also go a notch higher.”

The 24-year-old Mercado has a 20-3-0 record. She won the WBC super bantamweight gold belt in November 2019, after defeating Fatuma Zarika of Kenya.

Zarika is the last African female boxer to lay hands on the prestigious WBC super bantamweight gold belt.

Chiwandire is 26 and still has a modest record of 6-2-1.

However, those who watched her dominate Munoz in Harare will not read much into her record.